After freezing my derrière of last winter on a chairlift at Mammoth Mountain, California I realized my light down jacket under my eVent parkways not cutting it.
So this month (Feb.) I bought an Eddie Bauer PEAK XV fully baffled down expedition/belay parka at the amazing sale price of US $299. with free shipping. It is "helmet compatible" and fits nicely over my ski helmet. I think it is nearly the same as the Patagonia Fitz Roy at $100.+ less.
However, the Patagucci Fitz Roy and even more spendy Grade VII parkas both have a very nice solution to internal zipper baffles, namely two baffles, one on each side of the zipper.
So... Looking at the barely insulated (with Thinsulate), flat zipper baffle on my EB PEAK XV parka I decided to fix it. I bought some 800 fill, DWR treated down, seam ripped the 1" top of the baffle and, using a kitchen funnel and meter long rod, and stuffed that sucker until it was fat.
Now to buy some nylon twill and have a tailor sew another baffle, then sew it to the left side of the zipper. I'll fill it with down as well and have my double zipper baffles. Problem solved. And I'll have a cozier winter "camp" parka for backcountry ski camping in Nevada.
Finally I'll take the beautiful coyote fur ruff I got in January, sew a stiff backing on it with a Velcro strip and the mating strip sewn on my hood. Then I'll have a very nice, removable ruff that I can flip forward for a "breathing tunnel" in extreme weather.
BTW, PEAK XV, as some of you may know, is the first name of Mt. Everest, as the British surveying team named it.
Do any of you mod your gear? It's become a hobby for me over the years.
Eric B.